“Go on. Open it,” he instructed.
I gently took the box in my hand and popped the cover open. Inside was a simple chain with a round diamond encased in a halo of diamonds. It was soft, elegant, and probably cost a fortune. It looked as if it cost more than my Forester.
“I can’t…”
“It’s a present. You can.”
“Wow. Okay,” I whispered. “Will you put it on me?”
I slipped the necklace out of the box, pulled my hair up, and then let him clasp it into place. It felt like a weight sitting in the middle of my sternum, but it didn’t overpower the dress. It was as if he had known. Or the man just had amazing taste in diamonds.
“Thank you. It’s really too much though.”
“Emery, for you, it’s never going to be enough.”
I leaned toward him, letting the necklace dangle between us, and then kissed him deeply. “A girl could get used to this if you’re not careful.”
“I’m not planning on being careful. Kid gloves are off. You might have to endure fancy dinners and random presents and unplanned trips on my private jet. This is the man I am, Emery, as much as the man I am when I’m with you. I’d like to have you in both worlds.”
I nodded, suddenly speechless. Jensen was offering me his world. I’d be a fool not to take it.
The limo stopped in front of the Overton, and we were whisked out and down the breezy walkway inside. The room was already packed with people, but I could see that much of his family was already there. We meandered over to their table, and Jensen left me with Morgan before he went off to get us drinks. Apparently, our table had bottle service, but champagne wouldn’t be passed out to the room until right before midnight.
“Oh!” Morgan gasped. “He gave you the necklace.”
I reflexively touched the diamond. “Yes.”
“It looks great on you.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m so glad things are going well again. Jensen gets so cranky when he’s being a total idiot and refuses to admit it.”
I laughed and covered my mouth.
“I’m glad things are going well too,” I admitted with a smile.
“Also, I’m so happy that you’re here. Seriously. The whole family is.”
I smiled, unable to convey how much that meant to me. “I think I’m just going to slip to the restroom while Jensen waits in that outrageous line.”
“All right,” Morgan said. “Do you want me to come with you?”
“Nah, I’m okay. I’ll just be back in a minute.”
Then, I disappeared into the crowd to locate the restroom in this huge ballroom. It was off some hallway, and luckily, since it was so early in the night, it wasn’t full with a line. I did my business, washed my hands, and then exited, only to almost run into someone.
“Oh! Sorry,” I said, trying to sidestep the woman.
“Just the person I was looking for,” she said.
I glanced up at her and finally took her in. My stomach dropped. This could not be who I thought it was. “Have we met?”
“We haven’t had the pleasure. I’m glad to rectify that. I’m Vanessa.”
She stuck her hand out, but I just stared down at it in shock. When I didn’t say anything, she dropped her hand, looked down at my necklace, and then back up at me.
“Vanessa, as in…”
“Yes, Jensen’s Vanessa.” The way she said it was soft and seductive, as if she belonged to him and he belonged to her.
She was stunning, like drop-dead gorgeous. Her hair was a soft blonde color, and it came down nearly to her waist in supermodel waves. She had a good four or five inches in height on me, and she was in a black dress that accentuated her rail-thin figure. But it was her face and the honey color of her eyes that had clearly gotten her modeling jobs. She was exotic but familiar, striking but down-to-earth. She confused the senses.
And I hated her on sight.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“Well, I came here to be with Jensen.”
“Too bad. He’s here with me,” I said, getting territorial on instinct.
“Ah, yes,” she said, eyeing me up and down like I was a piece of trash and she was considering how to dispose of me. “Are you the flavor of the week?”
“Nope. I’m his girlfriend. So, you should probably just leave. I don’t want to have to deal with you when we’re having a perfectly good night together.”
“Girlfriend,” Vanessa said, breaking into this little musical laugh.
No one laughs like that! No one!
I shrugged. “Believe what you want to believe. I really don’t care.”
“But how could you be his girlfriend when he stayed with me all last week?”
My heart stuttered. I’d known that Jensen had seen her last week, but I hadn’t known he’d stayed with her.
“I knew he was in New York and that he saw you. I doubt he stayed with you.”
“I saw you walk in here with him, but he never even mentioned you once,” she said, digging the knife in deeper.
“Jensen told me he saw you and that there was nothing there. I know that you cheated on him. I know that he divorced you for it. If you came here for a catfight, consider me tapped out.”
I turned and strutted away, back down the deserted hallway. I felt fierce. I felt like I was on fire. I was in control. I didn’t know why Vanessa was here, but I had handled her like a champ. I’d go tell Jensen, and he’d tell her to get the fuck out. The end.
“But did he tell you about Colton?”
My feet stalled. Who the hell is Colton? And why did he matter?
“Of course he didn’t,” Vanessa said with a staged sigh. “Because you’re clearly just a fling.”
I turned slowly and faced her. I wanted to ask her the question, but it was stuck on my tongue. Something was telling me that I didn’t even want to know. I didn’t want to deal with this.
“Just face it. You could never compare to me,” Vanessa said with a sweet tilt to her head. “How could you compare to the mother of his son?”
Twenty-Nine
Jensen
“She should be back already,” I said to Austin.